Made in USA

Critter Cutters are manufactured in Texas using raw stainless
steel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia. The high-tech rainbow nitride
coating is done in California and tactical BlackOut powder coatings are
done
in Texas.

Stainless Steel

The Critter Cutter™ is constructed from a single piece
of solid stainless steel, very thick at 0.21 inches (the same thickness
as an Apple iPod Nano ). Because of its strength, stainless steel is
more expensive to work with than aluminum, and harder on the tooling.
However, stainless steel makes the product stronger and sturdier – the
pry bar/box cutter nose won’t bend and the teeth of the twist-off
bottle opener won't wear out like aluminum. Stainless steel is also
good in wet environments (think ice, coolers and fishing).

Minimalist, artistic flair

We took somewhat of a minimalist approach: everything
in the design is functional (even the eye and mouth serve functions)
and we used one solid piece with no moving parts. Aesthetically we felt
minimalist did not have to mean boring or ordinary, so we gave it an
artistic “critter” flair. One side has the words “Critter Cutter” and
“Made in USA” while the other side has a solid smooth
surface. Another
aesthetic yet functional element is the jimping (the notches) along the
back of the Critter Cutter™. Jimping is a decorative technique used by
custom knife makers which also serves the purpose of adding grip to an
otherwise smooth steel surface, usually a handle. A better grip comes
in handy since Critter Cutters enjoy the icy, wet environment of a
cooler - and also like going on fishing trips.

Functional

Functionality was an important consideration. The Critter
Cutter™ is a multi-tasker. There is a church key bottle opener on one
end and a twist-off bottle opener on the other. The eye serves as a
hole for a lanyard or key chain. The nose functions as a box-cutter
blade or pry-bar for prying stubborn can tabs. Use it instead of your
fingers for poking and prying. The nose is also PERFECT for poking
holes in the top of the new punch top cans.

Ergonomic

Along with the choice of material, ergonomics was a major
consideration in our design. We went through many design iterations
using prototypes to get just the right thickness, angles and dimension
so it feels comfortable in your hand and comfortable during use. It
fits nicely in all hand sizes.

Safe

The box cutter edge is tapered but blunt enough that it can be
carried in your pocket with keys. That was a compromise we made: it's
not sharp enough for the fiber-reinforced tape or the plastic bands but
it works fine for regular packing tape, doesn't slice up what's in the
box and you can carry it in your pocket. Though not as sharp the blade
is thick and doesn't wear out like a flimsy razor
blade.

Rainbow Nitride Finish

This Critter Cutter loves attention. The rainbow
nitride finish is accomplished in a 2 million dollar machine using the
deposition free PVD (Physical
Vapor Deposition) process. No two are exactly the same with this
process. The gold color you see on the end of quality
drill bits is an example of a finish using PVD. That finish makes the
already tough tool steel used in drill bits much more wear-resistant!
Coloring stainless steel has been a real challenge for us because it
does not anodize like aluminum or titanium and, well, it is stainless!
We love the results of the PVD process.

BlackOut Critter Cutter

When we first came out with the BlackOut Critter Cutter we
used the QPQ process and had alot of trouble with it. This week we are
picking up our first batch of new BlackOut Critter Cutters which are
blackened using the powder coating process. Powder coatings vary quite
a bit depending on who does it. Luckily for us Rhineland Arms (see
www.troupsystems.com) is having our Critter Cutters coated at the same
time their new aluminum gun
stocks are being coated so we will get the benefit of low cost and high
quality; benefits we will pass on to you!